2013 Volkswagen Beetle consumer reviews

I was initially looking for a used Golf, but the more I looked at the Beetle the more I liked it. When I found the one I ended up buying, it was love at first drive. This little car packs a punch with the 2.0T, and will throw you back in your seat. It’s an absolute blast to drive. Handles well around town and on the interstate, where it could easily get one in trouble since it wants to GO. The same engine as is found in the GTI, so this should be unsurprising. Easily gets 30+mpg on the highway when cruising along, typically around 20-25 city. These cars handle city driving just fine, but they are meant for the freeway in my opinion. I find the interior to be quite luxurious. Heated leather seats (not available in the Golf) with plenty of storage compartments. Not many frills, just a sleek and mostly practical dash. The trunk is big enough for grocery runs, and the rear seats fold forward for larger loads. It’s not going to haul large appliances or furniture, although it could possibly carry some bigger stuff on a roof rack. The Fender audio system is impressive, wouldn’t change a thing about it except it could benefit from an updated head unit with CarPlay. This hasn’t been an issue for me. I think the car is a real looker, it turns heads and has drawn the occasional compliment. My used model had some imperfections, but it’s still a great looking car that I want to look after and keep for as long as I can. It feels well built, the doors close with the satisfying weighty thud of a premium vehicle. Overall, I am very happy with my 2013 beetle. It’s not only fun, but it seems to be reliable with a couple caveats that some owners might not be aware of. The 2.0T engine is designed for premium fuel, using regular will eventually damage it. The 2.5 can run regular, but I believe the 1.8T will also want premium. The reason for this is lower octane fuel will cause detonation in these high compression engines. If you don’t know what detonation is, just know it’s bad. The oil needs changed more regularly than the manufacturer recommended 10k miles. 5k to be safe, 7k at a stretch. This is especially true for higher mileage vehicles. Speaking of stretch, there is a known issue with some 2.0T engines where the timing chain stretches over time and many miles, so if buying used that’s something I’d have a mechanic check out. This is an expensive maintenance item, but IF it’s needed, getting it done along with the tensioner and a new water pump for good measure will ensure that the new to you Beetle is reliable for many years and miles to come. The other issue is carbon build up. Getting it cleaned out is not as spendy as the timing chain but it’s also not a cheap fix. I believe this can largely be avoided by using top tier fuel (it contains detergents that help with this) as well as regular oil changes and some regular spirited driving. Would not recommend this car to someone who mainly does town or city driving, the 2.5 engine might be better suited for that. According to my research, the 2.5 is quite bulletproof BUT it’s not good for any engine to be driven at low RPM all the time.

I sadly made the worst choice of my life buying this car. It started giving me problems since day #1 😪 The motor is burning oil at a bad rate and had to get rid of it. I lost time, money 💰 and efforts on it. Yes, the car is beautiful but not reliable

I have owned my convertible bug for 10 years. I bought it brand new and have 98k miles on it. I have taken this car for its yearly inspection and oil changes at the dealership and completed all factory recommended service. Believe it or not I have not had to do anything besides buy tires...its on the second set...This car is still on all its original parts breaks, rotors etc...Its insane!!! I love my bug and it has been the best little car I have owned.

Worst mistake of my life. I bought this car in 2015, so the car was 2 years old. Maybe 10 months later the throttle body busted which is of course a $1300 problem. Wasn't exactly swimming in money at the time so I couldn't afford to fix it so I had to make do. I finally had to buy another car which was with me for a long time before I had to get rid of that one. So I was back to the bettle. Fast forward about 4 ish years. Finally got the money to fix the thing, and its of course not just the throttle body. Battery needed replaced ($300) and four of the pins and wires that connected to the throttle body were also fried ($2100) everywhere you turn there is a problem and it's expensive! Do not waste your money! This car is a piece of crap.

We bought a used 2013 VW Beetle. for a whopping $14.000 at a car lot. We have paid more for repairs than our monthly car payments. and every time we have it fixed, it is thousands of dollars. Of course, the dealership wouldn't give us a warranty on it. It's a Euro piece of junk. I guess that's why you don't see very many on the road.

2013 Volkswagen convertible 68000 miles engine is bad can not be fixed oil change regular beautiful car leather interior but with no motor working not worth snything

I have only had to replace the alternator and a purge valve on my 2013 Beetle turbo. Both were day jobs and didn't break the bank to have done! I absolutely love driving the car, it's fun and sporty, but still eco friendly when you keep your foot out of it. The little car hugs the road unlike any other vehicle I've ever had (that includes an SLS roadster and a BMW M3). The fender sound system will rock your socks off and the interior is very nicely appointed. The seats offer enough bolstering to keep you planted while the lumbar support isn't too firm nor too soft. I love the look of the circular center steering wheel as well as the upgraded fender dash trim. I would suggest that if you are looking to buy one of these cars, definitely spring for the upgraded fender sound system with subwoofer..... very much worth the extra bucks. I sprung for the optional panoramic sunroof but I must admit that to my dismay, the roof only opens a slight amount due to the location of the radio antenna. It opens enough to get some wind in but it doesn't open "fully" as one might expect. Aside from this, and the occasional rattle of the dash trim, I have no qualms with this little car and I would highly suggest it to others. As with all VW's, the occasional quirk will appear, but, this only adds to the uniqueness and character that these little cars offer. Example) my keyless door touch unlock feature works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. Oh well....no big deal. I'll just use the unlock button!

I bought this 2013 TDI and I have the pano roof and color changing speakers but the TDI is so fun I just love to bomb around in it and punch it when driving good mileage, and with winter tires on it it’s like a tank can go through all elements.

Kids are grown and this car is simply for FUN! The VW Beetle wasn't even on our list when we started looking for a convertible. We test drove the more "practical" convertibles including the Volvo C70 (2nd place on our list), the VW Eos, Toyota Solara, and Chrysler 200 convertible. The VW with the 2.0 turbo is the one that put a smile on both our faces. The others felt heavy and a bit TOO comfortable. The 2.0 Turbo has plenty of power and the new design is lower, longer and wider changing it from a cutesy-mobile to a very nice looking car. Ours has the Fender sound system which I HIGHLY recommend. At 6'2", I have NO issues fitting in this car, and the trunk--although not big--is not tiny either and is the same size w/top up or down. It's big enough for a weekend getaway or a basic trip to the grocery.

About two years now since got the TDI convertible. No problems and very reliable. One recall for some airbag issue; no problems with that, and nothing else save regular oil changes and an unfortunately flat tire. Awful lot of fun and a blast to drive. Not practical, but then we have a van to haul things.